English: Lit & Environmental Justice

Courses examine the relationships between literary study and the environment, including aspects of the history of writing about nature in English. Focus on topics/genres of literature as a means to think through challenges of sustainability. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years.

Open to Degree and PACE students

In this course, we will consider the intersections of literature and environmental justice. We will examine different forms of literature, including poetry, novels, and creative nonfiction, as well as critical texts that provide lenses for reading the literature. We will begin with literature that captures the interconnection of humanity and the natural world and consider how these texts consider environmental justice. Next, we will explore the relationship between writing and environmental advocacy, reading texts focused on environmental justice, racial and gender equity, and Indigenous rights. We will examine these issues through the lenses of ecofeminism and intersectionality, and consider what role writing can play in advancing environmental justice. Finally, we will focus on queer environmental writing and consider how queerness can be a lens for understanding the climate crisis and climate resilience.

During class, students can expect full class and small group discussion, as well as time for writing and self-reflection.

Students will be evaluated through participating in reading discussions, writing reading responses, conducting a group presentation, and writing an analytical paper.